WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Multiple news sources have suggested Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin could be the latest member of President Donald Trump's administration to be ousted, but the White House is seeking to downplay the reports.
'We hear these types of rumors every day,' White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley told Fox News on Monday. 'At this point in time, though, [Trump] does have confidence in Dr. Shulkin.'
'He is a secretary and he has done some great things at the VA,' Gidley added. 'As you know, the president wants to put the right people in the right place at the right time and that could change.'
The comments from Gidley come as reports have indicated Shulkin could be fired amid disputes with VA staffers and government investigations of alleged spending abuses.
The inclusion of the comment 'at this point in time' may not inspire much confidence, with Gidley noting that Trump has the power to make a change at any time.
'He has the power to do so whether he has a replacement or not, he can still make a change,' Gidley said. 'The president wants to put the best people around him to execute his policy.'
In an interview on ABC's 'This Week' on Sunday, Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy said Trump expects to make one or two major changes to his administration.
Ruddy, a friend of Trump's, said other White House sources but not the president told him Shulkin will be out 'very soon.'
'But other reports, people like Ben Carson, I'm told that the president is happy with the job he's doing, he will be staying,' Ruddy said. 'Chief of Staff [John] Kelly, the president is happy with the job he is doing, he will be staying.'
Recent reports have suggested Carson, who serves as Housing and Urban Development Secretary, and Kelly could join other recently departed White House officials, such as chief economic adviser Gary Cohn, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders denied reports McMaster was being removed less than a week before Trump revealed he is being replaced by former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton.
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